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THE annual AFL India National Championships will go ahead in January with the support of a $2000 donation from the Rotary Club of Bendigo Sandhurst.
Rotary club president elect George Waters presented the funds to AFL India founder and secretary general Sudip Chakraborty in Bendigo last week.
The city and Bendigo Football Netball League has been a strong supporter of the football body and the national championships through a pair of trips to India organised by Golden Square Football Netball Club chaplain Bruce Claridge.
A third delegation will travel to India early in the new year.
Chakraborty said the funds would help introduce under-privileged children in India to the sport of Australian rules football.
"They will travel from across India to Kolkota to play in the national championships," he said.
Chakraborty, who captains the Indian Tigers and is also employed by the Essendon Football Club and AFL VIctoria as a community officer, said teams representing seven Indian state would play in the championships.
"There will be two divisions and 14 teams playing in three-day tournament," he said.
"There will be about 180 players.
"We've got 7000 players who have started playing footy in India in the last three years and those 180 are the best of the best.
"We started in Kolkota but now we have a presence in seven states, so we are growing.”
"But funds are a challenge in India, so we are grateful for the support from Bendigo."